It is common for consumers to make purchases using a card, which is linked to a financial account. The card may be any of a variety of types including debit, credit, or stored-value cards. The accounts may similarly be of a variety of types including checking, savings, or credit accounts. The card may be scanned, swiped, or otherwise process at the location at which the purchase transaction is being conducted. This location is sometimes referred to as the Point of Sale (“POS”). A POS device, such as an electronic card reader, may be used to scan the card, thus reading electronic information stored on a magnetic strip on the card. The electronic card reader may be coupled, via a telecommunications system to one or more computers located at the purchase site and/or at remote sites, such as banks and card issuers. The electronic information is used by the various computers to process the transaction and electronically transfer funds from one account to another, such as from the consumer's credit account to the merchant's bank account, in order to complete the transaction.
Some credit card accounts have associate rewards systems. For example, it is common for a credit card company or issuer to provide points or miles as rewards for a consumer who uses the company's card to make purchases. Some credit card companies provide a credit to the consumer at the end of each year. The credit amount is determined as a percentage (e.g., 2%) of the total value of the purchases that the consumer made with the card during the prior year. The amount is credited to the consumer's credit card account. When the consumer then makes additional purchases, the amount due in the next billing cycle is reduced by the credited amount.